Always with Me: A Christmas Story
by SkyDragon2996
Summary: Christmas time is just around the corner as Tintin and friends celebrate the holidays together! Tintin is eager to celebrate with his friends, but an unexpected encounter will soon help him realize what true friends are for...This story is created by me, I want to get into the holiday spirit of it. OC characters that I'll use belong to me, luvadventure123 and RenaissanceElf!
1. A friendly invitation

The sun glowed a bright golden yellow as a light snow drifted from the morning sky. Even though the sun was shining bright, the sky was still cloudy with a lightly thick fog. It was finally winter in Brussels. Almost everyone was excited for the cold season. Even the kids were excited, since now there would be enough snow to play in. But there was something else that got the townspeople excited. Now that it was finally winter, it could mean one thing – Christmas time!

From within the gray clouds, a tiny snowflake fell from the sky. The snowflake fluttered as it drifted from the cold skies. The snowflake flew past tall trees without landing, and it continued its drift toward the tiny town of Brussels as people began to open their shops for the day. As the snowflake drew closer to the trees, a gust of wind blew it away, right in the nick of time. As the wind blew, it almost knocked a man's hat right off his head. "Oy!" he exclaimed as he went to pick up his hat. "Blasted wind's brewin' up quite a gale today!" The snow flake then blew away as the man placed his hat on his head.

The snowflake then continued its journey through the park, where people went ice skating at the pond, which was frozen solid into ice. The snowflake then began to dance around random people as they were gliding upon the solid ice. It seemed to match its rhythm to the flowing gyrations people made with their legs. The snowflake barely missed the sharp blade of a woman's ice skate and immediately flew away, passing children who were sledding down the hills, throwing snowballs, building a snowman, or just lying on the grounds and making snow angels.

Soon, the snowflake ventured its way through the streets as it flew past shops and stores in the town square. It blew as the wind carried its flurry and blew amber-brown leaves from a tree. Some people were even amazed that the snowflake was flying by. Crossing a busy street, a little boy saw the snowflake drifting by. "Mommy! Look at the snowflake!" the boy exclaimed. "Yes, Jimmy dear. It is a pretty snowflake," his mother said. "Hurry along now, we don't want to freeze in this weather!"

Now, the snowflake reached the apartment building in the streets next to the town. While the snowflake was slowly approaching the doorway, Benton and his family were rapidly approaching the front door. With his mouth covered by a thick wool scarf, Benton stared up high at the windows above him and smiled. After he had shut the door, the snowflake flew up high, and through an open window overhead.

Meanwhile, inside the warm apartment, Tintin was asleep in his bedroom. Instead of lying down comfortably on his bed, he was lying flat on his stomach, with one arm bent over his head, and snoring loudly. Soon, the tiny snowflake drifted from the open window, and came to rest softly on Tintin's nose. Tintin wiggled his nose a bit after feeling the cold and moist snowflake melt on his nose. He delivered a quiet yet forceful sneeze. Soon after, he went back to sleep, until he heard a knock on the door. "Brother?" Benton's voice could be heard from the other side. "Yes?" Tintin said, rising up in a lazy manner. "Tintin dear, you okay?" Lucille asked. "No, no, no," Tintin said, his eyes still closed. Yawning, he said, "I…I've been up for hours." Then, he fell back on his bed and slept.

"Tintin!" Benton said teasingly as he opened the bedroom door and found Tintin in bed. "Psst, Tintin!" Benton whispered in Tintin's ear. "It's snowing outside!" "Mmm, I love you too, Snowy," Tintin mumbled. "No, not Snowy!" Benton whispered. "It's snowing!" "Snooooooooowwwwwwwing," Tintin mumbled in his sleep. "It's snowing…" Soon, Tintin's eyes fluttered open.

"It's snowing outside?" Tintin said, getting up. "Yea," Benton said. "The kids want to go play in the snow today." "Me and Matthew were waiting a long time for snow to come!" Heidi piped up. Meanwhile, Snowy darted into the room while being chased by Cocoa. Snowy scrambled up the bed and onto Tintin's lap. "Hmm, that actually sounds like a good idea," Tintin said. "But for now, why don't I go and freshen up?" "Sure," Benton said, heading out of the bedroom. "The breakfast will be ready in a few."

Tintin got out of bed and began stretching his limbs out wide. "Bend the knees," he muttered. "Extend arms. And stretch!" He began his daily routine of squats and bends. "Up. And down. Up. And down." He looked over to Snowy. "Come on, boy," Tintin said, grabbing his bathrobe. "Wanna help me get the water started?" Snowy just barked and strutted out the door.

In the bathroom, Tintin felt the steam of the warm water fill him as he let the water run in the bathtub. "Ah, that smells warm," Tintin muttered. Soon, he had begun to unbutton his pajama top. Then, he pushed down the loose-fitting pants, and removed his socks. Until he finally stripped himself of his clothes, Tintin finally sunk into the water. Bliss. "Finally," he mumbled softly. "Nothing like a hot soak to warm up on a cold winter day." He began to wash himself, lathering soap on his arms and rubbing behind his ears. After he had plenty of time to clean himself up, he ran a long brush down his back. His skin felt smoother, like a newborn baby's skin. Then, Tintin took a moment to relax. He was almost sinking in the water when…

"Tintin!" Benton called from outside the bathroom. "Breakfast is ready!" "Ah yes. Okay!" Tintin said. Getting out of the bath, Tintin wrapped himself in a warm towel and headed back into his bedroom. After drying himself, Tintin put on a long-sleeved blue thermal shirt, his brown trousers, white socks, and shoes. As he began to tie his left shoe, Tintin inhaled the delicious smell of food from the kitchen. "Mmmm, that smells really good," Tintin said, licking his lips hungrily. After he had finished dressing, he sighed and headed for the kitchen.

When he entered the kitchen, Tintin took a deep breath. The intoxicating aroma of maple syrup filled the air as Lucille made the pancakes. "Brother dear! What took so long?" Benton asked. "I took a bath," Tintin said, sitting down. "Mommy made pancakes!" Heidi said. "I like pancakes," Matthew piped up. Snowy and Cocoa were play fighting with each other until they tired themselves out. "Pancakes are done!" Lucille said. "All right, let's eat!" Benton said as breakfast was served.

As they began to eat, Benton asked Tintin, "So tell me. What are your plans for the holiday season?" "I don't really know," Tintin said, his mouth full. "What about you?" "I have no idea," Benton said. "There's just too much to do, I can't name anything." "Well, I know for one thing that this holiday will be…" But before Lucille could finish, there was knocking on the door.

"I'll get it!" Tintin said, getting up. He walked over to the door, with Snowy and Cocoa trailing behind him. As Tintin opened the door, a mailman stood before. "You Mr. Tintin?" the mailman asked. "Yes," Tintin said. "Something came for me?" "Ay, yes, Tintin. Never thought you'd ask," the mailman replied, reaching into his satchel. "There you go, sir. Ah, looks like you've got an invitation from your good friend Haddock!" "Nice," Tintin said, eyeing the red envelope before him. "Anything else?" "Oh, yes. Almost forgot," the mailman said. He pulled out a rather heavy package wrapped in cloth and paper. "Think that's about it." "Okay, thank you," Tintin said, grabbing the package. "Have a good day, and try to stay warm." "Will do!" the mailman said as he walked away.

"So, what'd you get?" Benton asked. "Hmm, looks like an invitation from the Captain," Tintin said. "Open it! Let's see it!" Lucille asked eagerly. Tintin then ripped open the envelope and took out the card. "Well, what's it say?" Benton asked. "Hmm, it says," Tintin began to read, "' _Dear Tintin, I'm holding a Christmas party at Marlinspike Hall on December 24. I took the time to invite some of our closest friends for the occasion. And I *shudder* even invited Castafiore too; I just hope she doesn't start belting out Christmas carols in high notes! We're also having a little gift exchange too at midnight as well. You're also more than welcome to bring your dear brother Benton and his clan too. Hope to see you there! Best wishes, Captain Haddock.'"_

"A Christmas party! How wonderful!" Lucille said. "Wow, this is huge," Tintin said. "I've never been to a real Christmas party before, not since I was very young." "Well, you'll get to experience it for the first time!" Benton said. Matthew and Heidi eyed the package and ran up to it. "Uncle Tintin, what's this?" Heidi asked. "Hmm?" Tintin asked. He walked over to the counter and grabbed the package. Then, he set it on the table before him.

"What is that?" Benton asked. "Don't know," Tintin said, "but I think this card will tell me who it's from." He unfolded the card and read it aloud. "' _Hey Ginger Boy,_ '" the card read, "' _look what I found at the bakery down the street. Enjoy your gift. Your friend, Malina Ravenwood.'"_

After Tintin read the card, Benton winced. "Uh oh, I think I know what it is," Benton said. "Oh, stop being such a baby," Tintin said. As he began tearing into the package, Benton burst out laughing. There, in front of Tintin, was a small but rather thick loaf of fruitcake. "Wow, a fruitcake," Tintin said. "Haha, I bet Malina decided to play a joke on you," Lucille said, giggling. "But I thought people usually give a fruitcake to somebody they hate on Christmas," Benton said. "You know what? I think this is so nice and considerate of Malina," Tintin said, grabbing a butter knife. "Eh, what're you doing?" Benton said. "I think it's time that I tried this," Tintin said, slicing a piece of fruitcake.

"Whoa, wait. Don't do it!" Benton said. "Why not?" Tintin asked. "I don't think you're gonna like it," Benton said. "It's not the kind of fruitcake you'd expect it to be." "Don't be so silly. I'll see if it's okay," Tintin said. Soon, he brought the slice of fruitcake to his mouth. "Oh, please don't!" Benton said. He saw Tintin preparing to bite down on a piece. "Ew, don't! I'm telling you, don't do it!" But his pleas did no help. Tintin was already chewing the piece of fruitcake, his eyes closed with anticipation. "Mmmmm," Tintin mumbled. "What just happened?" Benton asked. "I think he's…enjoying the fruitcake?" Lucille said, confused. "He actually likes it?" Of course, Tintin was slowly savoring each bite. After Tintin swallowed , he turned to Benton and Lucille, their eyes wide. "Something wrong?" Tintin asked. Benton shook his head.

"Okay, if we're done eating, let's get ready now," Lucille said. "The kids are just dying to go play in the snow." "Oh, right!" Tintin said. Hurriedly, he began wolfing his pancakes, occasionally slowing down a bit so he would not choke. Then, he hurried to his bedroom and thrust on his sweater, coat, and scarf. Then, he changed into his old hiking boots and put on a pair of dark blue mittens. "You ready now?" Benton asked as Tintin came out, fully prepared, and with Snowy decked out in a warm scarf and little booties. "Now I'm ready," Tintin said. "Okay, let's go," Lucille said. Soon, everybody was out of the apartment, ready to enjoy the snow.


	2. Accident of Fate

Outside, snow had covered the sidewalks as people bustled in and about, trying to stay warm on this particularly cold winter day. Everywhere you walked, there would be snow everywhere, on the trees or rocks. Some burly men were going about their daily business, shoveling snow and clearing the sidewalks and roads of the thick snow.

"Ooh, look at the doggy!" two little girls exclaimed as they saw Snowy struggling to walk with his booties on. "Fluffy doggy!" the girl with blond hair said as she bent down to pet Snowy. "I want a doggy like this," the girl with brown hair said. Snowy had no sooner got the hang of walking on snow than he fell onto the cold ground. "Oh Snowy," Tintin said, picking up his little dog. "Now, don't you go slipping around on thin ice!" "Come along now, girls," the girls' mother called. "Coming, Mommy!" the little girls called out. Tintin watched as the two girls ran away to join their mother. "Hmm, I'm guessing that's why called you 'Snowy', eh bud?" Tintin asked his dog. Snowy could only woof in disagreement. Tintin just laughed and tucked Snowy inside his coat.

As soon as the friends arrived at the snow-filled park, they decided on their daily business. "Okay, Ben dear," Lucille said, wrapping her cloak tight around her. "I'm going into town to get a few things. If I ever see anybody we know, I might tag along with them to do a little Christmas shopping. I might be away for a little long, but whenever I'm done, I'll meet up with you. Okay?" "Okay, Lucy," Benton said, and they kissed for a short time. After Lucille went away, Benton turned his attention to the snow.

"Snow day!" Heidi exclaimed as she immediately ran toward the snow. "Hey, be careful!" Benton cried after her. But, it seemed as if Matthew decided to follow Heidi's example and run to the snow. "Hey, it's all right, brother," Tintin said, giving Benton a rather small pat on the back. "After all, kids love snow." Benton gazed at the snow beneath his gray boots and sighed. "Kids love snow," Benton said, turning the words around in his mind. "Kids love snow…I like snow!" Immediately, Benton ran off. His dog Cocoa took off soon after.

"Hmm," Tintin muttered. "My brother." Suddenly, he felt something cold and moist hit him on the back. "Hey!" he exclaimed. He turned around and saw two boys with snowballs in their hands. "Oh, I'm sorry, sir," the small boy said. "Billy and I were just trying to aim the snowball at Henry over there." Tintin turned around a saw a dark-haired boy, who obviously might have been Henry, pop up from a snow mound. "Oh, okay. I was just leaving," Tintin said. "Looks like I'll be on my way. You boys stay out of trouble, okay?" "Okay, sir," the small boy said, and after Tintin left, the boys continued throwing snowballs at each other.

"Daddy! Look at my snow angel!" Heidi told Benton eagerly. "Wow, that's beautiful," Benton said, admiring the perfect snow angel. "Do you want to build a snowman?" Heidi asked. "Sure!" Benton told her. Soon, he and the kids set to work on their snowman. "Snowman!" Matthew exclaimed as it was already done. Benton then took off his hat and placed it on the snowman's head. "Perfect!" he said, admiring the snowman. Suddenly, he felt a snowball hit him on the neck. "What the…?" he muttered, turning around. Behind him, Tintin was laughing uncontrollably. "That's what you get for not being so vigil!" Tintin exclaimed. But his laugh was cut short after Benton threw a snowball at his arm. "Okay, you asked for it!" Tintin shouted. Snowball fight to the death!"

Now, Tintin, Benton, and the kids had already engaged in a grisly snowball fight. However, it turned out that Tintin's aim was a little crazier than Benton's throws. "Okay, who needs ammo?" Benton asked the kids, while he whipped up a batch of more snowballs. Meanwhile, Snowy and Cocoa were prancing around, trying to avoid the snowballs. "Snowball!" Benton shouted, throwing a snowball at Tintin. "Trick shot!" Tintin shouted as he flung a snowball. Benton ducked, and the snowball hit the last people the boys expected.

" 'Ere now, what's all this?" Thompson demanded after he felt the snowball hit him. "Agh, I hit Thompson!" Tintin muttered. "He hit Thompson!" Benton said, immediately giving Tintin the blame. At that moment, Thompson and his cohort Thomson both approached Tintin. "Now what be your doings as of now, I ask?" Thompson asked. Tintin swallowed hard, finally claming himself. He told Thompson, "Nothing, nothing. It's my week off. You know, because of Christmas." "Precisely," Thomson said. "Just takes a week's worth of snow to forget all this madness." "Okay, well you two have a nice day," Tintin said. "And watch your step!" "Will do, Tintin!" the Thompsons both said in unison. However, Tintin and the others could not help but stifle a laugh after they saw the two bungling detectives trip and fall into the snow.

After a nice stroll through the snow-covered fields, Heidi started tugging at Benton's gray coat. "Ice skating!" she shouted. It was true, for she saw a throng of people ice skating at the frozen duck pond. "Can we go ice skating? Please?" Heidi asked. "I wanna go ice skating!" Matthew pleaded. Benton gave Tintin a look that asked, "Should we?" Tintin nodded his head yes. "Okay, we'll do it," Benton said. "Yay!" the children both shouted.

Soon after, Benton and the others were seated at the bench near the pond, strapping on their ice skates. Tintin watched as one of the skating instructors gave Matthew and Heidi some pipes fashioned into bumpers for them to skate easily. Soon, the kids took off on the ice. Benton look over at Tintin and giggled. "Your nose has gone red," Benton muttered. "I know, I know. I look like I'm having a fever, right?" Tintin said. "You got your skates on?" Benton asked. "Yea, I do," Tintin said. He struggled to stand up, and he shamelessly tried to walk to the pond.

"Okay, I got this," Benton said, maintaining his balance. Tintin was almost about to fall, but his hand was caught by Benton. "Glad I caught you," Benton said. "Thanks," Tintin said. Benton then guided Tintin around the pond, going slow so Tintin would skate carefully. It got to the point where Tintin decided to skate by himself. "Okay, I think I'm ready now," Tintin said. 'Okay. Don't hurt yourself," Benton said. Tintin shifted his feet in different directions, all while extending his arms out to maintain balance. "Hi, Uncle Tintin!" Heidi and Matthew shouted as they saw Tintin skating freely. "Hi guys!" Tintin said, waving back to them. Benton gasped in shock; Tintin was skating right near the edge of the pond! "Tintin! Watch out for the crack!" Benton shouted. "What?!" Tintin shouted back. "I said, watch out for the…"

It was too late. Tintin's skate suddenly crashed in front of the piece of ice jutting out of the surface. It sent Tintin barreling through the throng of people, who all made way for Tintin as he was propelled toward the edge. "WHOA!" Tintin exclaimed as he found himself hurtling toward the ground. He flipped over, occasionally tumbling down the snowy hills in somersaults. Snowy saw this, woofed and hurried toward his friend. Tintin continued tumbling down the hills until his foot hit a tree root, suddenly hurling him toward an oak tree. He had landed with a CRASH!

From a distance, people began to look at Tintin and gasped. Some little kids could not help but giggle at the sight. Benton and his children all ran toward Tintin to find him. "Tintin! Are you okay?" Benton exclaimed. Tintin lifted his head up, his face full of snow. "Ugh, yea. I'm fine," Tintin grunted. He saw that his skate had flown off, and he was only wearing his white sock. "Can you get up?" Benton asked. "I'll try," Tintin said, struggling to stand up. "I…Ow! My ankle! It's hurt bad!" Benton was in total shock. "Okay, brother. Just stay right there!" Benton said, taking off. "I'm going to find my lady!" He ran off, with the kids and Cocoa at his tail.

"Ow! Oh!" Tintin moaned, grabbing his ankle. "Ouch, this time I really hurt my ankle!" "Are you okay, sir?" a voice said. Tintin winced in pain so much that he barely opened his eyes. He lifted his head up to find a little girl. She wore old, ragged, and patched-up clothes. She had big blue eyes, and pretty blonde hair, despite the fact that it was ratty and unkempt. "Are you okay?" the little girl asked Tintin. "No, but please help me," Tintin said. "I twisted my ankle." "Come on, get up," the girl said, helping Tintin to his feet. "Maybe Mommy can help you." She helped Tintin to a bench and ran off to find her mother.

Moments later, the girl reappeared with her mother. She had the same blue eyes as the girl, but her hair was brown. She wore an old wide-brimmed hat, and just like the girl, wore ragged, patched-up clothes. Despite the freezing cold, she wore long black boots, and had black gloves on, with the fingers cut off. "Here he is, Mommy!" the girl said. Her mother said, "Honestly, Evelyne, you can't just call me over for foolish purposes…" The mother paused to find Tintin grabbing his ankle. "Why, hello sir!" she said. "Whatever happened to you?" "My ankle," Tintin whispered, his voice almost sounding like a gurgling noise. "Oh dear! Now, don't you worry, son," the mother said, giving Tintin a cane. "Come with me. I believe I can help you." She and Evelyne then guided Tintin to a ramshackle sled piled with firewood. Tintin sat down, while the mother pulled the sled with all her might.

A few minutes later, the mother and Evelyne both pulled the sled, leading Tintin into a run-down, old shantytown. Everywhere Tintin looked, he saw children in patched-up clothes playing with sticks or throwing stones. Two men were standing by an old garbage can that was lit on fire, trying to get warm. An old dog was lying by a pile of garbage, howling. Snowy cringed and burrowed deeper inside Tintin's coat. Tintin saw two women in tattered dresses gathering firewood for their homes. Soon, the three arrived at what looked to be a small, crudely built slum; it was not much of a house. "Here we are," the woman told Tintin. "I know, it doesn't look like much, but it's all worth while."

As they entered the house, the woman got to starting the fire, while little Evelyne helped Tintin to a ratty armchair. The mother got a metal wash tin and set it on a stove above the fire. Tintin looked all around. There were family pictures on the wooden boards that served as walls, and there were even clippings of newspapers, some with business ads,a dn others with little cartoons drawn on them.

Tintin suddenly felt a cold hand grasping his ankle. "Shh, you're okay," Evelyne said. She slowly removed Tintin's sock, where Tintin found a smallish, red circle surrounding his ankle. He wiggled his toes, trying to avoid the cold. "Okay, I got the water ready," Evelyne's mother said, setting the wash tin where Tintin was seated. "Give me your foot, now." Tintin slowly extended his foot toward the woman, who then began to submerge it in the hot water. But Tintin tried to pull his leg away. "Oh, come now. Please," the woman said, finally getting Tintin's foot in the water. Tintin could not help but shriek in pain. "That hurts!" Tintin exclaimed. "Oh, stop being so fussy," the woman said. "Trust me." She took Tintin's foot and placed it in the warm water. Tintin winced, but soon he finally got used to the water.

"Now, you just stay right there and relax for a bit," the woman told Tintin. "Would you like some hot chocolate?" "Okay," Tintin said. The woman then spooned some chocolate powder in two partially chipped mugs. She took the kettle and poured the hot water in the mugs. "There you go," she said, handing Tintin the mug. "Thank you very much, ma'am," Tintin said. "And this is for you, little guy," the woman said, handing a bone to Snowy. As she sat down, she asked Tintin, "So tell me if I'm right. I'm guessing you must be the reporter Tintin, eh?" She took a sip of her hot chocolate.

"Yes, I am," Tintin said, grabbing two sugar cubes and putting them in his hot chocolate. "My name's Paulette," the woman told him. "And I see you've already met my wee child Evelyne." She pointed to Evelyne, who was cuddling Snowy. "I really appreciate the kindness you gave me," Tintin said, "but people don't seem to like corrupt people in this town." "Depends on the people," Paulette said. "Like, take me, for instance. I just met you, and I know I like you." She gave Snowy a rare wink. Snowy just flinched in surprise. "Fluffy doggy!" Evelyne said.

Tintin looked at his watch. "Well, I really must go," Tintin said. "They might be looking for me." He pulled on his sock, and tied his shoe. "Wait! Why must you leave so soon?" Paulette asked, grabbing at Tintin's coat sleeve. "Well, my other friends are waiting for me," Tintin said. "But if there's anything I can do to show you my thanks, let me know." "Of course, dear,' Paulette said. "Bye, Mr. Tintin!" Evelyne said, hugging Tintin. Soon, he and Snowy headed out of the shantytown. "Such a nice lad," Paulette muttered to herself.

Soon, Tintin and Snowy made it back to the park, where Benton and his family were seated on a bench. "Tintin!" Benton said. "Where on earth have you been? We were searching the entire park for you!" "I kind of slipped away," Tintin said. He didn't want them to know he had his foot healed by a homeless family. "Okay," Lucille said. "Now, let's go back to the apartments and have dinner. We don't want to freeze in this weather."

As Tintin and the others walked back to the apartments at Labrador Road, Tintin felt a sudden change of heart. Now he couldn't shake off the feeling that his kindness had been repaid. But now, he wanted to do something else in return. Something, just something, to show that he cared.


	3. A Conflict of Heart

On the next morning, Tintin woke up, feeling rather strange. He felt as if he had some kind of mushy feeling inside of him, a feeling that he could not let go of. Now, all he could think of was little Evelyne and her mother Paulette. "Snowy," Tintin called out. Snowy eagerly ran to Tintin and scrambled up the bed. "Snowy," Tintin told his little dog, "I feel a little…weird inside. That wee girl Evelyne looks like a rather nice little girl, if you ask me. Though it kind of hurts me a bit to think about the harsh conditions that she and Paulette are living in." Snowy gave a sad woof; he did grow attached to Evelyne.

"You know what, bud?" Tintin asked, getting out of bed and putting on his slippers, "I think that, since Evelyne and Paulette showed us their kindness, we'll do the same, to show them our appreciation." Snowy barked happily, bouncing up and down with joy. Tintin then went to the bathroom to run a hot shower. While he washed himself, Tintin felt a twinge of joy as he washed his hair. He felt so exhilarated that he nearly stayed in the shower for about ten minutes.

Moments later, Tintin was in the kitchen, still wearing his pajamas and a bathrobe. He went over to the stove and got to preparing the coffee when he heard the mail slot on his door click open. He walked to the doorway and picked up a newspaper that was left on the mat. He quickly put the newspaper on the table and set to make the coffee.

Once the coffee was done, Tintin plopped two pieces of bread in the toaster, and then he cracked open some eggs on the pan. After he cooked the eggs for about a few minutes, he got the bread out of the toaster and set it on a separate plate. After he had set the table, he grabbed the jam from the counter and finally sat down. Once he sat down, Tintin took a deep breath and sighed. "If only you'd show a bit of human kindness," Tintin told himself.

Tintin then let out a yawn and began to eat his breakfast. At about halfway into cutting up his eggs, he was just about to eat when the telephone rang. "That's strange," Tintin said. "I could've sworn that there wouldn't be any phone calls this time of year. Well, I'd better go see what the fuss is now." He got up and walked over to the telephone on the nightstand and answered it. "H-hello?" he asked. "Tintin, my boy!" a voice replied back. It was Captain Haddock! "Oh, hello Captain," Tintin said. "What a surprise to find you calling me at this time. What's new?" "Oh, I just wanted to see if you slept well last night, laddie," Haddock had told him. "Oh, I slept very good last night," Tintin said. "In fact, I was just going to eat my breakfast." "Ah, good. Good," Haddock said. "I was just calling to see if you'd like to help me with something." "I'm up for anything," Tintin said. "What do you need?" "Well, I need a tree for the Christmas party in a few days. I already asked Alex, Enzo, Alyssa, and that lassie Malina to get the tree, but they could use a helping hand. Care to help them out?" "Sure, I can," Tintin said. "Good," Haddock said. "This Christmas is going to be great! Bye now!" "Bye!" Tintin said, hanging up the phone.

After Tintin had finished his breakfast, he went back to his bedroom to get dressed. Soon after, he was all bundled up and ready. "Come on, Snowy!" Tintin said, whistling for Snowy. Snowy came running up to Tintin, and the two walked out the door.

That afternoon, while walking through the snow-covered streets, Tintin wrapped his scarf tighter around his neck. "Gosh, it's so cold," Tintin said. "Glad I'm not going to fall in any more snow. Am I right, Snowy?" Snowy barked in agreement.

As the two walked through the street, Tintin saw Evelyne and Paulette. He eagerly ran up to them to greet them. "Tintin!" Evelyne exclaimed with glee. "Ah, Tintin!" Paulette said. "What brings you out here in this here cold corner of the world?" "I'm on assignment," Tintin said. "I was just about to head to the tree lot to pick up a tree. And what about you?" "Oh, we were just coming from the produce market," Paulette said. "You'll never believe how kind those store owners are to folks like us." "We also passed by the toy store, where I saw the most beautiful thing ever!" Evelyne said. "Oh, what was it?" Tintin asked.

"It was a pretty doll!" Evelyne said. "She had curly blonde hair, a pink bow, and she wore a pretty red dress!" "Aye, she spotted the doll while we were passin' by the toy store down the street," Paulette said. "It was a rather lovely doll, if you ask me." "I hope I can get the doll for Christmas," Evelyne said. "I want to name it Emily." "True, true. We can all hope for the things we want," Paulette said. "But it can't." "Why not?" Tintin asked. "Money is very tight, especially with the living conditions we're in," Paulette had told him. "Sometimes, we think that Christmas is just a mere wish," Evelyne said. Tintin felt sad. "Okay," Tintin said. "I have an idea. Let's say that a young man, perhaps one with a ginger cowlick, and a white dog, were able to buy you the doll, and give it to you on Christmas Eve?" Evelyne suddenly felt happy again. "Thank you, Tintin!" Evelyne said, hugging Tintin tightly. "You're the best!"

"Well, we have to leave now," Paulette said. "As a matter of fact, why don't you come over to the community citadel kitchen with us tomorrow? We could use a guest like you." "Sure," Tintin said. "That would be nice." "Good," Paulette said. "You be careful now." "Bye," Tintin said, waving goodbye to them as they walked away. As Tintin proceeded toward the tree lot, he felt a lump forming in his throat. "What did I just do?" he asked himself. "I promised Haddock I'd be there for the party, and now I'm committed to delivering a Christmas miracle. What am I going to do?" Tintin thought more on his situation as he walked.

As Tintin reached the lot, he found many people decisively trying to pick a tree. As he walked past, one man was trying to decide on what size tree he wanted to bring home. "Hmm, I just can't decide which tree," he said. "It has to be the right size for our house." Tintin saw this as an opportunity to display human kindness.

"I'll take care of this," he told the vendor. "Sir," he told the man, "why don't you take this tree home?" Tintin pointed to a tree located between tall trees. "It's not too tall, and not too short. It's the perfect size for your house." The man took time to admire the tree and think about it. "It's perfect!" he said. "Thank you for your kind words, mister!" Then, the man turned to the vendor. "I'll take this one!" he said, eagerly handing over twenty euros to the smiling vendor.

As Tintin treaded the tree-lined path, he began to search for his friends. "Now where could they possibly…?" But his thoughts were cut short after a snowball hit him. "Hey!" Tintin said, picking up a mound of snow. "Why, you little…" "Hey, Ginger Boy!" a female voice called out. "Over here!" Tintin turned around. "What the…?" he could not believe his luck when he found Alex strutting up to him. "Uh, Alex," Tintin said, pointing to her wildly curled locks. "You got a little, uh…" Alex noticed that her hair was doused with snowflakes. "Oh, right!" Alex said. She shook her hair, ridding it of the snowflakes that powdered her head like fresh flour. "Where have you been?" "Walking the streets, that's what," Tintin said. "The real question is: Where have YOU been?" "Waiting for you to help us choose a tree., that's what," Alex said. "We were waiting for you." "Okay, let's go," Tintin said. The two then walked together to a far corner of the lot.

As they reached the farthest corner of the lot, they found Enzo, Malina, and Alyssa, all bundled up in their winter clothes. "Tintin! You're back!" Alyssa said, rapidly embracing Tintin. "It's so good…to see you," Tintin said. "We were waiting for just the right time to pick out the perfect tree," Enzo said. "Well, there are so many good trees out here," Malina said, "we can't even choose the perfect one!" "Well, what are we waiting for?" Tintin said. "Let's start choosing then!"

They started browsing through the entire lot, searching for the perfect tree. Sometimes, when prolonged searches for a tree would grow tedious, they added a little fun in their search. Malina's eyes then settled on the perfect tree. "Yes! That's it!" she cried out. "What?" Enzo asked. "This one! It's perfect for the estate!" Malina said, pointing to the tallest tree in the lot. "Are you sure that's the right one?" Alex asked. "It looks a little, um…big." Suddenly, a snowball hit her. It was Tintin and Alyssa! "She said it's perfect!" Tintin said. It was not long before they got into another snowball fight yet again.

After they managed to get the stress out of their systems, the friends finally paid for the tree. Soon, they hauled the tree over to Enzo's truck. Alex and Malina both placed the tree in the back carriage of the truck, while Tintin and Alyssa, along with Enzo, tied it down with sturdy ropes. Soon, they drove off on their way to Marlinspike Hall.

Later on, as the sun began to set, they arrived at Marlinspike Hall, which had been lavishly decorated with beautiful lights. The estate looked even more beautiful with the snow covering the roofs, as if it were a giant gingerbread house. Once the tree was unloaded from the truck, Tintin and the others all began to haul it inside the estate.

"Ah, Tintin, my boy!" Haddock said, greeting the friends as they entered the house. "You've come back!" "With the tree, as promised," Tintin said. "You would not believe how hard it was to find a tree like this!" Enzo said as he and the others hauled the tree toward the foyer. "We had to go to different lots to find the perfect tree!"

"Hi Tintin," Benton said as Tintin ran up to him. "How was your morning?" "Busy," Tintin said. "You look well," Benton said. "And you look well-er," Tintin said. He paused. "I mean, not that you're, um…not fuller! I just meant, you're more…well." "Thank you," Benton said. He gazed all around him as men were decorating the estate. "So," Benton told Tintin, "this is how the Christmas party will look like." "It's a lot warmer than I thought," Tintin said. "All the excitement, I guess," Benton said. "And what is that wonderful smell?" Together, Tintin and Benton both inhaled the delicious aroma before them. "Chocolate!" they said at once. Then, the two brothers just laughed for a long time.

"So, lad," Haddock told Benton as he walked up to them, "are you prepared for the Christmas get-together?" "I sure am," Benton said. "I can hardly wait; the kids and I were so anxious to be celebrating this holiday together." "Well, that's good," Haddock said. "I wanted to do this as a special way to bring my closest friends together." "That's real swell of you," Benton said. "And what about you, Tintin?" Haddock asked. "Are you prepared?"

Tintin did not know what to say. He had already committed to getting a Christmas gift for little Evelyne. What should he say? "Umm, yes. I am ready," Tintin said. With a hearty slap on the back, Haddock told him, "Very good, lad! It'll be a night to remember!" As he left the two to talk, Tintin sighed heavily. Now he had two situations to be committed to. How was he supposed to accomplish them? "I'll find out a way," Tintin told himself. "Soon."


	4. A Tough Decision

On the next morning, Malina and her sister Hanna, who were accompanying Benton, were carefully strolling their way through the busy streets, on their way towards the apartment building. Benton's faint breathing created a small fog in the sky as he sighed heavily. Hanna was busy fixing her fur cap while Malina dusted the snowflakes off her coat.

"So, why did Haddock want us over for breakfast this morning?" Malina asked. "Because he wanted a practice breakfast, so he could hit it off with the dinner for the party," Benton said. "But why so early in the morning?" Hanna asked. "His party won't start till tomorrow." "Still, I can't help think about what's going on with my little brother," Benton said. "What about Tintin?" Hanna asked. "Lately, he seems pretty reluctant to share in the festivities. It must be a change of heart for him," Benton said.

As they reached the apartment, Benton held the door open for Malina, who entered the apartment in a flash. Hanna was the last to enter. "Are you sure you know about Tintin's change of heart?" she asked. "He never told me anything," Benton said. "I don't know what's going on."

Meanwhile, inside his bedroom, Tintin was sleeping peacefully on his bed. Lately, he had been noticing that he was starting to feel a little under the weather. His nose had been getting quite stiff from the coldness, so he got a small medicine to unclog his nose. It helped him sleep better, without snoring so loudly. Snowy was wide awake and pranced over to the bedside, nudging at Tintin's hand.

"Knock knock," Malina whispered as she peeped inside. She then opened the door all the way and stood over by the bed. "C'mon, Tintin," she whispered. "Time to get up." Tintin, on the other hand, just rolled over in his bed. "Wake up, Tintin," Malina kept saying. "Wake up. Wake up!" Tintin groaned and plopped the pillow over his head. Malina had had enough. She simply walked over to the end of the bed, thrust the covers forward, and grabbed at Tintin's ankles. She still wore her mittens, and they covered with snow. That was enough to jolt Tintin right up.

"Yipe!" Tintin screamed, bolting upright. "What the…Malina! Why did you do that? You could've frozen my feet!" "Well, you wouldn't wake up when I told you," Malina said. "Anyway, what'd you guys come in here for?" Tintin asked. That was when Benton and Hanna entered the bedroom.

"Tintin, the Captain wants you to come join us for a rehearsal brunch this morning," Benton said. "A rehearsal brunch?" Tintin asked, confused. "Why would he do it today?" "Exactly what I said!" Hanna pointed out. "He just wanted to get us together so he could hit it off for when the actual party is tomorrow," Benton said. "Tomorrow?" Tintin asked. That was the day he was supposed to give his gift to Evelyne! What was he going to do?

"Why? What's wrong?" Hanna asked. "Nothing," Tintin said. "Good. Now get changed," Benton said. "Haddock doesn't want us to be late. Meet you in the kitchen in five minutes." As the three exited the room, Tintin checked his clock. Then, he realized something: he was invited over to the community kitchen to have lunch with Evelyne and Paulette! Then, he quickly thought up a plan. "I got it!" he said. "I'll go the breakfast thing, and then I'll give the Captain an excuse to leave so I can make it with Evelyne and her mother! After lunch, I can hang with the orphaned children for a while. Then, I'll head to the toy store and get Evelyne the doll she wants. Then, I'll sneak back to Marlinspike, and pretend nothing happened. Sounds like a plan, boy?" Snowy gave a happy bark. Tintin beamed as he started to change his clothes. He had a pretty smart plan ahead of him.

As Tintin headed to the kitchen, all dressed and bundled up, he stopped short. The fruitcake that Malina had given him earlier was still on the counter. He could not resist getting another piece. So, he cut a piece of fruitcake and was just about to enjoy it when Malina stopped him, saying, "I see you found my gift for you." Tintin just bit the fruitcake, saying, "Aw, come on. It was just a nice gesture." "All right, guys. Let's go," Benton said. Soon, the friends walked out of the door.

Soon after, they all drove to Marlinspike Hall. The snow on the roofs glistened in the morning sun. Tintin and the others got off and headed toward the front door. There, they were greeted by Captain Haddock, who eagerly escorted them inside. "Thank you for inviting us over to your house," Tintin said. "My pleasure, lad," Haddock told Tintin. "With your innocent charm, I'm sure a lot of people find you to be the nicest one around!" A sickening thought hit Tintin. _I want to prove to Evelyne that I'm nice as well as innocent, too,_ he thought. But he shrugged and went inside.

In the foyer, the friends met up with other accomplices that Haddock had invited for the party on the next day. "Hi Tintin," Alyssa said, admiring Tintin's outfit. "Looking good, junior reporter." "Thanks," Tintin said. "You're not so bad yourself." "Oh, you," Alyssa said. "I've heard it all before," Alex said, walking up to Alyssa as Tintin left.

"I'm so glad we're finally going to do this. Am I right, brother?" Benton asked Tintin. "I think so," Tintin said. As the two walked, Tintin happened to find Professor Calculus all dressed for the occasion. "Good morning, Professor," Tintin greeted. "It sure is snowing a lot outside, isn't it?" "What's that you say, dear Tintin?" Professor Calculus asked. "Will there be roses with a white glow?" "No, that's not what I meant," Tintin said. "I meant that…" "Oh, good! Then we can all enjoy a nice visit someday!" Professor Calculus insisted as he kept on walking. "Never mind," Tintin muttered to himself.

"Sure is a lot of people, eh Captain?" Tintin asked as he met with the Captain, who was busy talking to Enzo. "I only like it when I get to sail on adventure, but it sure is nice to take a break and enjoy the snow," Enzo said. "What's wrong, Captain?" Tintin asked. "Are you not feeling the light spirit?" "Not really," Haddock said, cringing in fear. "'Cause I invited the last person I'd expect to see at the party." "Who?" Enzo asked.

"Ooh, Captain Drydock!" a familiar voice sung out loud. "And along came the worst," Haddock mumbled to himself. Soon, Bianca Castafiore gallantly entered the foyer as she spotted the Captain and eagerly strode up to him. "Hello, my dear Captain!" Castafiore gushed excitedly, embracing the Captain. "It is so…good to see you too, madam," Haddock muttered. "Oh, I am soooo excited for the holidays, I can hardly contain myself!" Castafiore said cheerfully. Then, her attention turned to Tintin. "Well, if it isn't my favorite reporter Tintin!" she said. "Good morning," Tintin said. Benton and Enzo, in turn, just laughed.

"Well, how about that breakfast then, eh?" Thompson asked Haddock while he approached him. "Ah yes! Of course!" Haddock said. He rang a little bell that was sitting on the nightstand, signaling the others. "Okay everyone," he said, "let us all go to the dining room now!" everyone else then made their way to the dining table.

At the dining room, everyone found their seats, thanks to a little placard on the chairs. Benton sat with his own family, Malina and Hanna were together, Tintin with Alex and her parents, Enzo and Alyssa sat with the Thompsons and Professor Calculus. But Haddock was the most disappointed about his seat, because he had to sit an inch near Castafiore.

As soon as the meals were served, Haddock stood up and started tapping his wineglass. Everyone turned to focus on him. "Attention, everyone," he said. "I would like to thank you all for coming here today to celebrate the upcoming Christmas party." "And I think you were a delightfully great friend to invite us all here," Lucille said. "Personally, I thought we'd be here to just enjoy the food, but I guess family counts as a plus, too," Alex said. "Alexandria!" Treasure scolded. "I'm just delivering food for thought, Mum," Alex said. "But you don't get up off the table!" Treasure hissed.

Soon, everyone began to dig in to their breakfast. The meal was poached eggs, basil, sausages, and small potato cakes. Everyone seemed to enjoy their meal. Tintin, however, was trying not to eat his fill of the meal. He wanted to make sure that he saved his appetite for the community citadel kitchen. "What's the matter, Tintin?" Antonio asked. "You hardly touched your eggs." "I don't know if I'm really that hungry," Tintin said. "But the Captain had the day already planned out,'' Treasure said. "He wanted us to help a little more with the decorating." "You enjoying your breakfast there, Tintin?" Hanna called from across. "Yes!" Tintin shouted back. "That's good!" Malina added in. Soon, everyone turned and laughed when they saw the Captain covering his ears as Castafiore decidedly rose from her seat and started belting out a Christmas carol. Tintin thought it was pretty funny too.

Tintin took a good look at his watch. It was already time! Tintin quietly folded his napkin, put on his coat and scarf, and got out from his seat. He was starting to make it out the front door when Haddock stopped him, asking," Whay are you leaving so soon?" "Oh, I just need a little fresh air, that's all," Tintin said, thinking of a good excuse. "Okay," Haddock said. "Carry on."

Tintin then made it outside, and turned to Snowy. "Now it's off to the citadel kitchen, right?" Tintin asked. Snowy barked happily as he and Tintin began to walk.

After an hour-long walk and finally reaching the streets, Tintin finally found the White Angel community citadel kitchen. "I bet this is where Evelyne's mother wanted to meet us," Tintin said. "I just hope I haven't arrived late." Snowy was barking impatiently, so Tintin then strutted inside with confidence.

Inside, Tintin found a huge throng of people in tattered or hand-me-down clothes, all waiting in line for soup. Some were eating with their families, while others simply enjoyed their meals with close friends. All around, the walls were decorated with tinsel, ornaments made by children, paper snowflakes, and a Christmas tree was seated in one corner of the room. Tintin began to search the whole place, desperately looking for Evelyne.

"Tintin! Tintin!" a voice said. "Evelyne?" Tintin asked. He strode over to the source of the call, and he was lucky enough to find Evelyne and Paulette! "Yes, you finally came!" Paulette said eagerly. "I thought for a second you might've skipped out on us!" "No, why would I?" Tintin replied. Some of the other people sitting with Paulette and Evelyne all shared a hearty laugh as they welcomed Tintin and Snowy.

Soon, a trio of young women brought out a plate of sandwiches, all neatly cut in triangles, and served cups of hot cocoa. Then, the bowls of soup were brought in by a cart and everyone was served. One man even happened to sneak a bone to Snowy, who happily chewed it with ease. As everyone began to eat, the talk turned to their own plans. "Richard, how's the family?" one woman asked. "Very fine, thank you. Can't wait for Christmas Eve!" the man, who was Richard, replied. "Oh, my little Billy and I are so excited to finally celebrate the holidays!" one woman said. "So am I!" another woman said eagerly. "I'm really looking forward to a white Christmas, if you ask me!"

Meanwhile, Tintin was busy chatting with Paulette about Christmas. Evelyne ate up her soup and then gave her sandwich to Tintin. "Here you go, Mr. Tintin," Evelyne said. "Oh please, Evelyne," Tintin said. "I already ate my sandwich." "But I want you to have some more!" Evelyne laughed. "Well, it's true. I eat like a bird," Tintin said jokingly. "So tell me, Tintin," Paulette said, "are you very excited for this Christmas?" "I am, indeed," Tintin said, spooning a bit of soup into his mouth. "Should be a great one, eh?" "Well, I cannot wait until my little Evelyne receives her Christmas wish this year," Paulette said. "Ever since the other day, she still would not stop bugging me about that doll she saw at the toy store. She really loves that doll. And she hopes Father Christmas will bring her that special miracle." "Hmm, maybe I could deliver her that Christmas miracle," Tintin said. "I heard that this place has a Christmas party over here." "Aye, it does. Evelyne and I are going here for Christmas," Paulette said. Tintin then picked up his cup of hot cocoa and began to sip it. "So, when did you want me to accompany you guys for the Christmas event here?" Tintin said before drinking the cocoa.

"Hmm, how about tomorrow? The twenty-fourth, perhaps?" Paulette replied. Suddenly, Tintin cut his drink short; tomorrow was the Christmas party at Marlinspike Hall! Tintin turned from Paulette, his mouth full of hot cocoa. "Well, it wouldn't be much of a trouble, would it?" Paulette asked. "But you do enjoy the holidays, don't you Tintin?" "Mm-hmm," Tintin said, his mouth still full. "I mean, what if the holiday season never lasted that long?" Paulette asked. "Hmm," Tintin mumbled. "Oh, what am I sayin'? Of course, it'll last, with a little Christmas spirit," Paulette said. "Why don't you go and play with Evelyne and the kids for a while? That'll keep you all right."

As Tintin finally managed to get out into the recreation yard, Snowy looked up at Tintin. Tintin then swallowed hard with great difficulty. "What am I going to do?" he asked himself. "I want to make a good impression on the Captain, but I don't want to disappoint Eveylne." He watched as Evelyne played on the swings. "Maybe they might just understand," he told himself.

For all that time, Evelyne and her mother felt hopeful in believing that Tintin would support them every way possible. And Tintin? He felt…well, tired. Whenever he was playing with the children, he would turn around and bend over to tie his shoe, but what he really did was _yawn_. Sometimes, he would often run in and out of the building, yelling, "My scarf! I forgot my scarf!" And as he ran outside, he sneezed. "To your health, Mr. Tintin," Evelyne whispered, offering a tissue. "Thank you, Evelyne," Tintin said, blowing his nose.

Soon after, Tintin left the citadel, thanking the people for their kind hospitality. Then, he began to walk straight toward the toy store. As he reached the toy store, his eyes found the doll that Evelyne had wanted. "There she is, Snowy," Tintin said. "Isn't she a beauty? A doll like that deserves to have a loving child, like Evelyne. I'm going to buy her!"

Tintin walked into the toy store and began to search the entire store for the doll. "Excuse me, sir," he asked the store manager, "do you know where there is a doll like the display on the window?" "Ah, I see what you mean," the manager said, eyeing the doll display. "Come with me, sir. I think I got her right here." He led Tintin to one corner of the store. "Ah, there she is!" the manager said, pulling out a box that held the same doll. Tintin then paid for the doll, and finally managed to get it home to his apartment.

Soon, after hailing a cab to take him to Marlinspike Hall, Tintin ran up the steps of the estate while avoiding the slippery snow. "Ah, there you are, Tintin!" Haddock said, greeting Tintin inside the foyer. "Where on earth have you been? We were looking for you!" "Oh, I just did a little last-minute gift shopping," Tintin said. "That's good!" Haddock said. "And yet you never cease to amaze me!" During the rest of that afternoon, while hanging out with his friends, Tintin wondered if he'd ever get this close to delivering that perfect Christmas miracle.


	5. Thick snow

Earlier that night, after finally managing to get a ride home from one of his friends, Tintin had finally made it home to his apartment. Before he retired for the night, Tintin went straight for the bathroom and put on his pajamas. Then, he took out the doll from under his bed and smiled in anticipation. He grabbed the wrapping paper and scissors, and he sat down to work. Snowy watched as Tintin carefully wrapped the box with wrapping paper. After folding each edge neatly and sticking tape on every side, Tintin finally crowned the box with a bright red bow. Then, he took out an ink pen and wrote, _To my new best friend, Evelyne. From yours truly, Tintin the reporter_.

Satisfied, Tintin took the box and showed it to Snowy. "What do you think?" he asked. Snowy barked happily. "I can always count on your opinion," Tintin said. He then slid the box halfway underneath his bed. "Good night, buddy," Tintin told Snowy as he turned off the lamp on the nightstand. Then, he fell asleep.

On the next morning, snow began to fall freely from the gray skies as people anxiously prepared for the morning. It was finally Christmas Eve! Children and their families were already at the park, engaging in various winter activities. Everywhere, stores and buildings were decorated with tinsel and holly, as people began singing Christmas carols in a joyous synchronization.

Benton and his dog Cocoa were on their way to Tintin's apartment, too excited for themselves. It was finally the day of the Christmas party at Marlinspike Hall! He had already woken up early, ready to get started for the day. But he was still a little short on finding a present for Tintin. But he wanted Tintin to come with him and do several Christmas-themed activities before the party, like snowball fights, Christmas caroling, or ice skating. And now that it was snowing fairly enough, it was the perfect day.

Benton hummed a little to himself as he walked up the steps of the apartment building. He smiled as he gazed up the windows above. "It'll be a surprise he won't soon forget," Benton told himself. Then, he and Cocoa rushed inside to escape the cold.

Meanwhile, in his bedroom, Tintin woke up, feeling sick. His face was red, his throat hurt, and his forehead was hot. "Ugh," Tintin groaned, feeling dazed. "Oh my goodness, Snowy. I…I don't feel like myself." Snowy whimpered and nudged at his friend's hand. He was sad to see Tintin wake up in this condition.

Benton rushed into the apartment, hoping to find Tintin in the living room. "Brother dear!" he said. "I'm back!" But, to his surprise, Tintin wasn't there! "Hello?" Benton called out. "Tintin? Brother are you there?" Soon, Benton heard a faint groaning sound come from the bedroom. "That doesn't look too good," Benton said as he hurried inside the bedroom.

"Morning, brother," Tintin moaned. Benton gasped in shock as he came in the bedroom, only to find Tintin sick in bed. "Oh my…Tintin! Wha—what happened to you?" Benton asked as he hurried over to the bedside. "I don't—achoo!—know," Tintin said, sneezing. "All I—atch!—knew was that—achoo!—I woke up in the morning like this—achoo!" "Oh no, Tintin," Benton said, feeling Tintin's forehead. "Look at yourself, you've got a cold! You're burning up!" he then left Tintin and went over to the telephone. "Who are you calling?" Tintin asked. "The doctor," Benton said, and he made the phone call.

Moments later, there was a knocking on the door. Benton went to open it for Tintin. "You called?" the man at the door asked. "Dr. Evans!" Benton said. "You finally came! Please, come with me." Benton then led Dr. Evans to the bedroom, where they both found Tintin lying on the bed, blowing his nose with tissues. "Oh my," Dr. Evans had said.

He walked over to the side of the bed where Tintin laid. "Good morning," he told him. "Good morning, Doctor—achoo!" Tintin managed to say. "Now, let's take a look, shall we?" the doctor said, putting on his gloves. He took extra caution to check Tintin over. He listened to Tintin's heartbeats, checked his ears, checked his tongue, and examined his eyes. Then, the doctor felt Tintin's forehead and placed a cool washcloth over it.

"Well, what is it?" Benton asked as soon as the doctor had finished. "Well, Mr. Hadley," Dr. Evans began, "it appears that your brother here has caught a burning fever. It must have been from too much activity outside in this cold weather. Be that as it may, I will advise you that he must stay indoors for the remainder of the day." "Thank you," Benton said. He bid the doctor good day, and watched helplessly as he walked out.

"Well brother," Benton said. "It looks like you'll have to stay inside for the rest of the day." "No, that can't—achoo!—really happen—achoo! Because if I'm sick, then I'll have to miss the Christmas party!" Tintin protested. "It'll be okay," Benton said. He picked up the phone. "I'm going to call the Captain and tell him." Tintin watched as Benton dialed the phone.

It was no sooner than Haddock had received the phone call from Benton, and he was now alarmed at the shocking news. As he put the phone down, he slowly turned to the other guests at the estate. "Bad news, people," Haddock began to say. "Turns out that my dear lad Tintin is in bed, sick with a fever. And Benton's staying behind to take care of him, so they're going to miss the Christmas party tonight." Everyone was in total shock. "That's terrible!" Alex said. "Without Tintin, who'll be able to liven up the party?!" Enzo exclaimed. "Now this turned out to be a day to remember!" Alyssa said. "Without Tintin, now my cake's going to waste!" Malina said. "Not if I get a slice first!" Hanna said. Soon, everyone was in an uproar, as they all started talking about how Tintin would not show up. "Everyone! Calm down!" Haddock exclaimed, trying to calm everyone. "Now I'm sure that there will be another way we can carry one with the party! I'm sure of it!"

Back at the apartments, Benton was busy stirring hot soup in a pot. He felt pretty bad to find his brother in such a state. "Oh, I do hope that Tintin will get better soon," he said. "Everyone was looking forward to see him at the party tonight." As soon as he was done, Benton finally put together a tray of food and brought it to the bedroom.

Meanwhile, Tintin was coughing and sneezing violently, which began to give him severe shivers. Snowy whined and ran forth to get some tissues. Snowy then came running back to the bed, with a tissue box in his mouth, and handed them to Tintin. "Oh, thank you, Snowy," Tintin said, blowing his nose twice. "I never know what I'd do without you." He petted Snowy on the head as Snowy barked happily.

Benton came in the bedroom, with a tray in hand, and Cocoa sprinting behind him. "There you are," Benton said, placing the tray before Tintin. "There would be absolutely no way I would let you be sick on an empty stomach." "Thank you," Tintin said, beginning to eat his soup. "Now I really wish I hadn't gotten sick today." "Why is that?" Benton asked. "Because I really don't want to disappoint the Captain today. You know how hard he worked on planning his special occasion? You gotta hand it to him. He just wanted to be together with the friends he has," Tintin said. He began to feel a lot warmer from the soup. Then, he drank his glass of juice that was left for him.

"Thnaks again," Tintin said, handing the tray back to Benton. "If there's anything else you need, just tell me. I'll be back in a flash," Benton said. Tintin then thrust the covers away from his legs. "What are you doing?" Benton asked. "Going to the bathroom," Tintin said. "Being sick doesn't mean that I have to stop doing my usual business." Benton understood this clearly and left the bedroom.

As Tintin slowly began to get out of his bed, he walked to the bathroom. He washed his face with warm water and took one good look at himself in the mirror. A red, hot, and sweaty face stared back at him. Then, Tintin dried off his face and walked out.

As Tintin slowly made his way to the bed, his foot caught an object, which caused him to trip and fall by the nightstand, hitting his head. "Ow!" he cried, rubbing his head. "What in the…?"

He paused short, looking at what he had tripped on. It was a box, wrapped in wrapping paper full of snowmen, and topped with a red bow. Tintin slowly sat up straight and grabbed the box from underneath the bed. It was then that Tintin finally realized what is was…It was the doll that he was going to give to Evelyne. "Brother! Are you okay?" Benton asked, bursting into the room. "Are you…?" He paused short, seeing Tintin on the floor with the gift.

"Brother dear," Benton said, getting down on the floor beside Tintin, "who's this present for?" "This was supposed to be a gift, a special gift for little Evelyne," Tintin mumbled. "Who's Evelyne?" Benton asked. Tintin bolted up. "Evelyne?" he asked. "Oh. She's, um…no one. Got it? No one." "Brother," Benton said. "You're just saying it like I'm not interested. I am interested, try me."

"Okay, I'll tell you," Tintin said. He straightened up and handed Benton a photo of Evelyne and her mom. "She's this…this sweet, little girl who lives alone with her mother. And they're homeless folk; they don't have much of any value left for them." "That seems harsh," Benton said. "They live in a shantytown on the other side of the village," Tintin said. "And they were so kind to me, they even helped me cure my leg." "So that's where you were when we were ice skating!" Benton exclaimed. "Why didn't you tell me?" "I thought you wouldn't care about it," Tintin said. Then, his gaze fell on the present. "Evelyne said that she wanted a doll for Christmas, so I bought it for her." He shuddered in fear. "And now that I'm sick," Tintin whimpered, "now I can't give her a special gift…" Tintin then buried his face in his arms and broke down, crying.

"No no, don't cry," Benton said, hugging his sobbing brother tightly. "It's okay. It'll be okay. I'm sure everything will be all right." "No! Nothing's going to be all right!" Tintin cried out. "This stupid fever's forbidding me from ever seeing the one friend I ever really had!" Tintin said. "I know many people don't see it, but I do!" Benton then saw Tintin putting on his bedroom slippers.

"Tintin, what do you think you're doing?" Benton asked. "Evelyne wanted a present for Christmas," Tintin said, "and I'm going to make sure that happens!" He quickly thrust on his bathrobe. "Wait, Tintin! You can't do that!" Benton said. "The doctor specifically told you…" Tintin was serious. "I have to get to Evelyne!" he said. Benton thought long and hard. "Okay. I'll go with you," Benton said, grabbing his coat. "If you're going to go freeze to death out there, then I'm not letting you do it alone." Snowy and Cocoa followed the two boys as they ventured out of the apartment.

The wind was blowing fiercely over the town as a thick snow covered the streets. Benton was glad that Tintin kept his socks on while he wore his slippers; either that or his own feet would succumb to hypothermia. With one hand, Tintin wrapped his blanket tightly over him, while on the other, he held Evelyne's gift. Snowy tried hard not to fall down, but the thick snow was making it difficult to walk.

"Okay, so how do we do this?" Benton asked. Tintin shivered from the cold, but he was well enough to explain the plan to Benton. "Okay, here's the plan," Tintin said. "We better go ahead and split up. You go to the nearest telephone and call the Captain. Ask him if there's room for two more guests at the party. Once you're done, find Evelyne and her mother. Their home is on the other side of town, or if they're not there, they might be at the community citadel down the street." "And what are you going to do during that time?" Benton asked. "I'm going to try and find some place to stay warm," Tintin said.

"Okay," Benton said. He gave Tintin a quick hug. "Don't freeze on me." Then, with a quick flash, Benton and Cocoa ran off.

As Benton ran, he could not help but feel guilty that he left poor Tintin alone, to die sick, frozen, and alone. But all the same, he wanted to help Tintin, so he kept on running.

Suddenly, Cocoa began yapping uncontrollably. "What is it, girl?" Benton asked. "You found anything?" Cocoa began snuffing the snow and sniffed high in the air. Then, she pointed her paw toward a telephone booth. "All right, Cocoa! You're a genius!" Benton exclaimed. Cocoa gave a short, happy bark. Benton immediately ran inside the telephone booth and deposited a few coins. After he dialed a number to Marlinspike Hall, he waited.

"Marlinspike Hall," Haddock's voice said. "Captain? It's me, Benton," Benton said. "Benton, my boy!" Haddock said joyfully. "Where have you been? The party's soon to start!" "Okay, but listen to me," Benton said. "Do you think you have room for two more guests at the party?" "Sure, I don't see why not," Haddock said. "Why?" "Tintin will explain everything. Now I really have to go," Benton said. "Okay, suit yourself!" Haddock said right before Benton hung up the phone.

Soon, he ran off to the other side of the town to where Tintin had told him to go. As Benton reached the shantytown, he quickly approached a woman gathering sticks for firewood. "Excuse me, ma'am!" Benton said, panting heavily. "Yes?" the woman asked. "Have you seen a woman with her little girl somewhere?" Benton asked. "Oh, I'm afraid they're not home right now," the woman said. "But I do believe they're at the community citadel for the annual Christmas party. It's right across the town, just two blocks down. You can't miss it." "Okay, thank you. Then, Benton and Cocoa had taken off back to the town once again.

Meanwhile, amidst the howling winds, Tintin used his blanket to shield his face from the snow, which hit his face and blinded him. It hurt so much that he passed the citadel and headed straight for Marlinspike. Snowy pranced up and down, trying to avoid the thick snow in his path. "So cold," Tintin said. He held the package tightly around his arm. "But it'll all be worth it when I get this present to Evelyne." He trudged harder than ever in the thick, powdery snow.

Suddenly, he began to feel tired. His head dazed, his body aching, Tintin tried to go further. "I can't…stop," Tintin whispered. "Have to…go…further." He trudged slowly and swiftly, trying to reach a safe place. For a moment, he thought he began to hear voices. Soft, female voices mixed together with masculine voices. Suddenly, Tintin could not see where he was going. His vision became blurred and faded. Must go faster. Must…go…Suddenly, Tintin fainted and collapsed.


	6. A gift from the heart

Hours later, Tintin woke up, dazed. "Where am I?" he mumbled. He dreamt that he began to hear voices talking indistinctly, then he fell into a deep coma. As he began to stir, he found himself on a warm bed. But he could've sworn that he was being watched by millions of people, watching him. Rubbing his head, he struggled to sit up. That was when he began to open his eyes.

"He's alive!" Haddock shouted joyfully. Soon, everybody else began to applaud. Hanna and Alyssa began to hug Tintin, while Alex gave Tintin a rousing punch on the shoulder, which was her basic way of greeting. Almost everybody was inside the bedroom, waiting for Tintin to come around. Tintin had felt instantly better, since he had been found in the cold snow for far too long. Now he didn't even have to worry about finding warm shelter.

"Wha—what am I doing here, in Marlinspike Hall?" Tintin asked. "We came as soon as Benton had called," Malina said. "He had some kind of big emergency that you were faced with." "And we're all here, willing you to wake up," Castafiore added as well. "Good to see you alive and well again, brother," Benton said. "But wait," Tintin said. "You're not _all_ here." "What do you mean?" Enzo asked.

"I have to go back out there," Tintin said, getting up from the bed. "No, stop!" Lucille said, stopping Tintin. "What?" Tintin asked. "But get dressed first," Haddock told him. "You can't spoil your surprise looking like that." "What surprise?" Tintin asked. Haddock smiled.

Minutes later, everyone was downstairs in the foyer, waiting for Tintin. Haddock and Benton then stepped out of the bedroom with Tintin, who was all dressed up in an evening suit. Tintin had a blindfold wrapped around his eyes. "Okay, watch your step now," Benton said. "Don't slip on the stairs now, lad!" Haddock said. At last, they were down the stairs.

"Okay, you can take the blindfold off now," Benton said. "Okay, but I sure don't see what all this fuss is…" Tintin carefully removed the blindfold from his face, and he paused. There, standing in front of him before his own eyes, was Evelyne and Paulette. They were dressed plainly, but still formal enough. Tintin slowly approached them, looking quite stunned. "You…you guys came," he whispered. "But how…how did you…?"

"Your brother wanted us to come," Paulette said. "And your friend Captain Haddock here was happy to welcome us into his lovely home." "Aye, and they're kindly folk too, if you ask me!" Haddock said. Evelyne approached Tintin and hugged his waist. "Merry Christmas, Mr. Tintin," Evelyne said happily. "Thank you," Tintin said. The, he remembered. "Evelyne," he said, "Father Christmas once told me that you had your heart set on a new doll." He brought out the box. "And I believe this was the doll you wanted." Everyone watched in awe as Evelyne began to unwrap her present. After removing the bow and tearing off the paper, Evelyne gasped as she saw the doll for the first time. She took the doll out and hugged it. "It's beautiful," she said. "Thank you." "And…I'm just sorry that I couldn't give it to you today," Tintin said. "I was really sick, but I wanted to make you happy."

"You've brought a lot of joy to my family," Paulette said. She then reached into her coat pocket and pulled out a crudely wrapped package. "And since you've been so kind to us," she told Tintin, "I thought it would be time to repay your kindness." "What's this?" Tintin asked. "We also got you a present!" Evelyne said. Tintin tore off the newspaper wrappings and crumpled paper and gasped. He held up the object. "A new pocket watch?" Tintin asked. "We were caroling with other revelers this morning, and we earned enough money to get you this watch," Paulette said. "It's your special gift," Evelyne said.

Tintin dropped to his knees and knelt toward Evelyne, his eyes filling with tears. He gently cradled Evelyne's face. "The greatest gift I ever got," he told her, "is having you for a friend." Evelyne felt overwhelmed with joy and hugged Tintin tightly. Everyone applauded happily.

Soon, everyone cheered as the party finally began. Friends began to mingle with each other as the smell of fresh cranberries and chocolate filled the air. The children even played games while the adults laughed and talked over glasses of champagne. Everyone was even more excited when Castafiore began to sing Christmas carols, all in high notes. Everyone, except Captain Haddock, who covered his ears at will. But the others just laughed.

Tintin stood alone by the fire, holding his glass of champagne. He smiled as he watched little Evelyne playing with the children, whereas Paulette was mingling with the other relatives. Snowy and Cocoa were having fun as well, playing around with some ornaments that fell to the ground from the tree. Benton walked over to Tintin and put his arm around his shoulder. "You know what, brother?" Benton said. "This has been the best Christmas gift ever." "Which one?" Tintin asked. "Getting to spend a great Christmas together, with my brother and my family," Benton said. "Hey, Benton. Want some fruitcake?" Tintin asked jokingly. "Oh, you!" Benton said aloud. Then, they joined the rest of their friends as they spent one whole night together in a truly unforgettable Christmas.

The End!


End file.
